ABSTRACT
Thirty-four primary (untreated) patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were examined. Their HLA phenotype and the production of interleukin-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha were assessed. Serological profiles characteristic of the late stages and reactivation of EBV infection were detected in 16 (47.1%) patients. NHL of low malignancy predominated in EBV-infected patients. A greater number of blank HLA-A antigens and a higher incidence of HLA-DR7 antigen was observed in infected patients. Serum concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha was reliably higher in them, whereas the production of this cytokine by the peripheral blood mononuclears decreased. Hence, serum tumor necrosis factor is a product of transformed B lymphocytes. Spontaneous and stimulated production of interleukin-1 beta by peripheral blood mononuclears was significantly decreased in EBV-infected patients, and the serum concentration of this cytokine similarly had a trend to decrease, which indicates an inhibition of interleukin-1 beta production in EBV-infected patients with NHL.